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Sheryl Sandberg: Facebook spoke too slowly about Cambridge Analytica
A day after Mark Zuckerberg's media tour, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg did her part in front of cameras to apologize and also make a muted reference to possible regulation. Speaking to CNBC the exec said "It's not a question of if regulation, it's a question of what type" and said that if she could do the last week over again, she'd have spoken publicly sooner on the company's dealings with Cambridge Analytica. Like Zuckerberg, there isn't much new in her comments, as Sandberg reiterated that Facebook changed the data privacy policies in question years ago, "but that wasn't enough."
Facebook adds its first African American board member
Today, Facebook announced that the Chairman and CEO of American Express, Kenneth I. Chenault, has joined the company's Board of Directors. It will be effective starting February 5th. It's notable because Chenault will be the board's first African American member.
Facebook tightens safeguards against hate-driven targeted ads
Facebook was caught more than a little off-guard when ProPublica discovered ads targeted at racists, and today it's taking steps to prevent those hate-filled ads from showing up again. The social network's Sheryl Sandberg has announced plans to tighten control of ads, including more human involvement. There will now be "more manual review" of ad targeting options to prevent promos based on hateful terms. Also, it's developing a program that will encourage you to report abuses directly -- you might not have to wait for a news story for Facebook to take action.
Facebook's 'Lite' app has over 200 million users (updated)
Just because you're using Facebook Lite, it doesn't mean you want to compromise on features. Neither do any of the 200 million users worldwide taking advantage of the bare-bones version of the app. Fortunately, there's an update that rolls out many missing features today such as the ability to Like, Comment and Share posts. Facebook created Lite as a pared down version of its main app in 2015 for lower-end Android phones with spotty network connections. COO Sheryl Sandberg was keen to outline the benefits that users of the standalone app are getting. Business users, for example, can use the more feature-rich update to reach mobile-only and mobile-first customers while using less data.
Mark Zuckerberg lightly criticizes Trump order on immigration
Tonight President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States" that suspends refugee admissions for 120 days and suspends admissions from Syria and several other mostly-Muslim nations (Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen) indefinitely -- among many other things (PDF). One of the voices criticizing this move is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who posted tonight that "We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat."
Facebook teases an app that makes live video look like fine art
In an interview at WSJD Live, Facebook's Chief Product Officer Chris Cox showed off an interesting AI-powered app that makes live video look like the work of famous artists like Monet or Van Gogh. Cox called it a "style transfer" tech, that essentially transfers the style of a particular painter to any moving image. From the on-stage demo, it looks a lot like Prisma, an app that adds art filters to your photos and videos. But while you have to wait several seconds for Prisma to work, the demo filter was applied live on camera through augmented reality.
Facebook's board of directors re-elects Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel, the early Facebook investor and board member who admitted last month to secretly financing multiple lawsuits against Gawker Media, will officially remain on Facebook's executive board, Mashable reports today. COO Sheryl Sandberg had previously stated that Thiel would keep his position because he "did what he did on his own, not as a Facebook board member," but Monday's annual shareholder's meeting was the last chance for the board to acknowledge that his actions run counter to Facebook's own mission statement. During the vote, the shareholders voted to keep all board members who are up for re-election, including Thiel. Mark Zuckerberg, who has the overriding vote as founder and majority stakeholder, approved the decision.
Peter Thiel is staying on Facebook's board of directors
Ever since news emerged that billionaire Peter Thiel is funding multiple lawsuits against Gawker Media, some have said he should step down from his position on the board of directors at Facebook. A now-public war against the media outlet that he called a "bully" certainly complicates things for the company, which works with Gawker on initiatives like Instant Articles and Facebook Live streams. COO and fellow board member Sheryl Sandberg faced questions about that relationship earlier during an interview at the Code Conference (which you can watch below, embedded from Facebook), and confirmed that Thiel will remain on the company's board.
Tech giants push Congress for K-12 computer science education
A coalition of tech industry heavy-hitters and scions of corporate America have joined forces with a bipartisan group of governors and educators to push Congress for federal funding that would give every K-12 student in the country the chance to learn how to code. The group, a partnership between the Computer Science Education Coalition and Code.org, is petitioning Congress for $250 million in federal funding for the effort.
What becomes of Facebook when people start to value privacy?
Facebook's role in the world has changed though I didn't expect to have an epiphany about that while sitting in the pews of a drafty, 11th-century church. It was at a wedding earlier this month, and the program handed out bore a disclaimer that would have been mystifying a few years ago. "Roger and Stephanie* would like to request that guests DO NOT post any photos of the ceremony, or share anything to social media relating to the day." Instead of wanting to broadcast their special moments to the world, they were actively asking people to do the opposite. The truth is that Facebook was designed for people to spill their guts, but now more people are deciding that their privacy is more important.
Facebook's Sandberg says a 'like' attack can help fight ISIS
One way to combat terrorist organizations such as ISIS on the internet, according to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, could be to engage in a so-called "like" attack. At a panel on the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, Sandberg gave an example of how German Facebook users "liked" a neo-Nazi Facebook page and then flooded it with positive messages. "What was a page filled with hatred and intolerance was then tolerance and messages of hope," she said in a report written by The Guardian.
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, live at D11
Sheryl Sandberg has served as the chief operating officer of the world's most popular social network since 2008, and today she's taking the stage at D11 here in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. She's kicking off a day of high-profile interviews just hours after Apple CEO Tim Cook got things started last night, and we're expecting her to be grilled on all manners of things -- the company's stock price, the future of mobile advertising, the success (or failure) of Facebook Home, international growth and how many Likes this here liveblog will receive. Join us after the break for the blow-by-blow, won't you?
President Obama to appear at Facebook HQ for Town Hall meeting
Looks like President Obama and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg just can't get enough of each other. Just two months after his tech industry schmooze fest, the White House has announced the Commander in Chief's plans to hold a live streaming Town Hall meeting from Facebook HQ with Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. The event is set for 1:45PM PST April 20th, and already has 3,400 attendees lined up. Users are encouraged to submit their questions about innovation and the economy via the event's Facebook page, and the comments are already rolling in. Somehow, though, we don't think this is the sort question he's likely to answer: "Dear President Obama, could we please be friends?" Sorry, Carolina.
